Body splint stretcher



May 14, 1946.

J. M. LIPTAY ET AL BODY SPLINT STRETCHER Filed Dec. 4-, v194:5 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTORS JOHN M. L/PTHY ATTORNEY May 14, 1946.

III

J. M. LIPTAYE/ZT AL 2, ,4

BODY SPLINT STRETCHER Filed Dec. 4, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE Y Patented May 14, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I It 2,400,426 7 V v BODY SPLINT STRETCHER John MrLipta'y, scarsdale, and Angelo Restivo, Jamaica NiiYr, assignors to Hospital Furniture 7 Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corpora tion of N ewYork; 7 Application December 4, 1943, Serial-No. 512,852

1 Claim.

The subject matter of this invention is a litter or body splint stretcher for convenientlyconveying the injured or wounded and specifically the invention is directed to a b'ody'splints'tretcher leaving or presenting no unnecessary indentations, concavities or projections which, would characterize as hitherto stated sources of annoyance to the subsequent patient'. The i-nvenadvantageously adapted. for utilization on ships, 5 tion has -as a further and importantobject to planes, in mines, industrial plants andin crilti'e reside a; relatively ug ged-f nd sftrong patient and dangerous localities. More particu a'rly S ng screen'pr orm d m" m n s however the present invention is concerned with Derfoatedrelgtigely thf'iin sheettmeialj siock to the type of splint stretcher disclosed in U. S'. provi e a'mes e and excel pa ien s S rm n Letters Patents in Stokes 820,026 and' MacKenzi'e' l0 lining spacgd rtelatioig the lower per; 2,228,012. Hitherto in so far as we are aware ons 0 I e race s ruc ure 0 e rames upp litters of the type alluded toutilized a supporting a t a o d by r as n of its inh nt resista ce frame wherein the supporting screen or lining ang ten c tlly illzl e lp t o lialon ;:fig o 'f %fi2 sustaining the patient was in the form of" soan even rom e ower 1 PO 1 called deformable and non-resilient chickenwire fram e i ention further lp f h fi gleshf Sugh construction ifn actual practice has g g i g f g r rggn een oun' to have many unctional and struc- S 0 er c t 1 disadvantages; namely hi wire m h tions'of the flexed lining or screen alluded to are is deformable but non-resilient hence, theweight C shlelded by an pp p te ba formed he contour of the screen tusprovid- H ing undesirable projections, and" 'concavities to gg cphs t rnfi c iui e i f tgi illagg gg gggg itlig? {Slogtheja'nnoyance of a ,fo lowing patient, furthera? r a 1 more the ends of the chicken wire mesh require 111g gslctes and merged bottom W of the P plate coiling; andclinc'h'ing for securing thereof to a forammous Screen d l cm the band m of 3 s or roduc ion, t e' aced 0 C01 ed ends of the r re fl eprovjde'undesjrab ie n needless functional structural features of the invention tensionsor projections characterizing sources of tt t follotfmg detailed spectcontact with the patient. Moreover where the 301503111911 q d h llght f accomchicken wire screen has been deformed over a gt t ig zpl lgzof litter or protracted period of timeo in many instances it r a r s beh' ou t it becomes insum'cient t bodyspl nt stretcher according to our invention. support andmaintain the patientthereon: spat 2 a Slde VI'BW 0t tgtially'fr'ee from the brace structure of .the frame i 3 a plan VIEW of I and in certain instances projections, such as 35 t are F mer Sectlonal S on stones or the like on the ground cause indenta- S 4 and -5 0f f 3 SD8Ct1Ve1y. a tions in "the. screen providing objectionable in- V 6 alfrttgnmentary of the expanmd wardly extending projections serving as another ff fot'ttmmous t t t a v source of annoyance to the patient. By the t 7 t 3 Sec 1011a z st present invention, the above recited disadvantages lqfifif g gt 5::- a; ydisclosed the are eliminated.

Thus the Object, of the invention is realized body splint stretcher or litter is generally denoted in the provision of an improved and serviceable B an is t t j by i"' P frame body splint stretcher wherein the patient susand-a patient am 9 t tt nous screen S. Frame F compiises a peripherally taming lining is in the form of a foraminous,

closed metal rim or hand rail R to wh1ch are relatively stiff, resilient sheet metal screen that appropriately secured the spaced longitudinally Is needlesls undefir.ab1e pmJectlons arranged metal braces L and U shaped transverse that might cause Injury to a patient pursuant to metal braces accident wherein mfg-Perforated or torami' Suspended from the frame is the relatively us s n is a ply sll tocconform t the thin, fiat, foraminous or perforated and one piece Shape Of the patlent but 1S I s y automatlcally sheet metal screen S. This screen may be formed restored or retracted to its normal and desired from resilient plate or sheet metal which has contour following removal of the patient, hence been stretched or expanded widthwise and subse portions 10 but all of these ribs are of the same sheet of metal and are integrally united or merged to form the perforated or foraminous screen although the merged parts 12 of adjacent configurations II] as well as the inner and outer surfaces A and B of the screen have been appropriately rolled to provide rectilinear or substantially flat and smooth surfaces.

To form the tensioned or flexed lining or screen S, it is appropriately shaped in a suitable press or the like and subsequent to processing, the diverging sides or wings l4, an inclined head rest or anterior portion l5, and closure I6 are formed to characterize a tensioned r flexed support substantially coextensive with the width and length of the frame. Even pursuant to processing the resilient screen presents relatively smooth inner and outer surfaces. In effect the screen subsequent to processing forms a basket for resiliently sustaining the patient and amply resistant to permanent localized deformations by reason of the load thereon or by inwardlyand outwardly thrusts thereon.

For confining sharp projections which may be defined by the peripheral border or margin M of the screen pursuant to processingthis border is concealed and reinforced by an inverted U-shaped sheath or band I! which extends along the head rest IS, the diverged and spaced sides I 4, and the closure end 16, thus providing a reinforcing rim having the spaced legs l8 and I9, snugly and closely straddling the peripheral margin or border M of the screen.

For firmly securing the reinforcing band ii to the screen, side l8 thereof is adequately provided with spaced indentations'or depressed portions 28 for reception into an opening 2| of the hollow polygonal portions and thus interlocking therewith, consequently positioning the peripheral band I! along the screen after which legs l8 and [9 are welded together at spaced portions 22 to snugly enclose adjacent portions of diverged branches of the margin M. By the present construction a relatively smooth, durable and reinforcing band is'provide'd to'preclude access to any sharp projections by the patient thus the latter is shielded against injury.

Slippage of the patient sustaining screen longitudinally, transversally or vertically relative to the frame F is precluded by appropriately welding the reinforcing band I! to the upper portions 23 of longitudinal and transverse braces L and T,

hence the diverged sides l4 and the slightly curved bottom wall 24 of the screen are appreciably spaced from braces L and T.

The usual straps 25 to hold the patient are mounted across the sides of the hand rail R while a suitable offset rod 26 is securely arranged longitudinally of the screen to act as an adequate intervenor for the legs of the patient.

aaooaec It should be observed that the screen is located slightly below the hand rail R and except where the band I"! is secured to the upper portions of the braces of the frame the sheet metal foraminous or perforated screen according to the invention has its diverging sides or wings l4 spaced from the braces L and T of the frame and similarly the bottom wall 24 of the screen is appreciably spaced from the lower brace structure of the frame. Even when a patient is within the frame, the screen is of adequate strength to sustain the patient from reaching the braces, the screen however is amply resilient to conform to the form of the patient and instantly is restored to its normal contour upon removal of the patient. If'desired diagonal brace D may be secured along the sides of the frame for reinforcing the latter. Moreover even though in actual practice the screen is of sufficient resilience and resistance requiring no underneath sag preventing conventional type platform (not shown) usually interposed between the bottom wall of the screen and the bottom part of the frame, such platform may be employed if desired. The brace structure characterized by braces L and T and hand rail R of the frame are of suitable metal and band I! is confined within the frame spaced from the hand rail. The screen may be said to depend from the band with its tapered sides spaced from the sides of the frame and its bottom wall spaced from the lower part of the frame.

Many changes can be made in the herein construction and many widely different species of structural embodiments of the invention can be devised without departing from the scope thereof. It is therefore intended that all matter herein described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

In a body splint stretcher, a frame comprising longitudinally arranged brace means and transversely disposed brace means defining upwardly diverging spaced sides and a bottom brace structure, a rail secured to the upper end o f said brace means, a substantially peripherally closed and inverted U shaped band within said frame and spaced and disposed below said rail and characterizing a sheath having spaced legs defining a gap,'a one piece relatively thin preformed perforated and sensibly resilient depending expanded sheet metal screen arranged within said frame and having an upper marginal portion disposed in said gap and having upwardly diverging side walls spaced from said diverging sides and a bottom wall spaced from said brace structure; said side walls, bottom wall and marginal portion having a plurality of hollow substantially diamond shaped configurations, indent means extending from said band interlocking with several of said configurations of said marginalportion,

and means securing said band to said brace means.

JOHN M. LIPTAY. ANGELO RESTIVO. 

